The Patriot: the Cherokee Reincarnated?

Herald-Mail.com is running a nice article about the upcoming Jeep Patriot and how Chrysler Group is aiming the marketing sqaurely at former Cherokee owners.

Do you remember the Cherokee?

Jeep certainly hopes you do, and in a fond way. It's a big reason why this DaimlerChrysler division has added the Patriot to its ever-expanding range of sport-utility vehicles.

It's similar-looking to the Cherokee, intentionally so, but cuts a wider swath, from easy-going boulevard cruiser to rugged, range-rumbling off-roader. It joins the entry-level Compass and completely madeover Wrangler as Jeep's new-for-2007 entries. The Patriot/Compass duo is heavily based on the Dodge Caliber wagon and shares many of the same mechanical components.

For the Patriot, however, it's all about emulating the Cherokee, a squarish model that was created four years before Jeep was acquired from the American Motors in 1987. The Cherokee left in 2001, but legions of devoted fans still long for the old warhorse and its straightforward and boxy styling as well as its on- and off-trail capabilities.